15 posts categorized "Education and skills"

January 28, 2014

With economic recovery seeming to finally take hold this year, I was not surprised that many of the Davos 2014 speakers sounded a positive note for the future. Nowhere was this more evident than in the remarks from country leaders. But these leaders understood that there is still a lot of work to be done—and it was striking how in sync they were when it came to the challenge going forward: building and sustaining growth.

February 13, 2013

On February 13, Professor Donna Street, Mahrt Chair in Accounting at the University of Dayton and IAAER Director of Research and Education Activities, and I launched the new Deloitte IAAER Scholarship program. By connecting young professors to the global accounting profession and academic world, the program should bring a broader perspective to local accounting education. It provides the link between “local” and “global” accounting developments, reflecting the global progression of the profession and business in general--a path that will continue into the future.

The Deloitte IAAER scholarship program will benefit future accounting professionals who go on to become auditors, preparers of financial statements, budget holders, or financial controllers, just to name a few. In the long term it will help raise the quality of accounting, auditing and financial reporting in markets around the world.

I want to share with you an interview with Donna as she shares her thoughts on the program, as well as the views of the five young associate professors who are the inaugural Deloitte IAAER scholars.

September 21, 2011

What chances does a young person have nowadays without a good education? In a world where quality education is taken for granted in order to have well-being and prosperity we’re not always aware that this is not the case for everyone. Worldwide, there are still millions of youths who will not achieve their dreams of becoming, for example, a nurse, entrepreneur, police officer, or engineer, let alone a Nobel Prize winner simply because of a lack of good education. These young people may not be gaining computer literacy, teamwork skills, and the ability to solve problems, local or global, in a creative and innovative way. Or, they may even work long hours in factories to earn little money, survive in dangerous warzones, or live in remote areas where schooling is unavailable. Because of these circumstances, the goal of a prosperous future seems unattainable.

We are here for every child and young adult with a dream. Since the end of 2004, e-Learning for Kids and e-Learning for Life have been developing free, digital, and innovative lessons for underprivileged children and teens, advancing young people’s 21st-century skills-readiness on a global scale. We see ourselves as a foundation that helps young people realize their dreams by preparing them for successful futures. Through our programs, young people enjoy working and playing on the computer. Our digital lessons are designed to inspire learning in a fun way. It is our belief that every young person deserves a chance to reach his or her full potential.

July 18, 2011

In 2003, I founded Close the Gap International, a nonprofit organization whose goal is to bridge the digital divide by providing refurbished computers and information technology (IT) equipment to educational programs in developing, and more recently, in developed countries. Our objective is to improve the lives of underserved young people by providing them access to IT equipment, and by extension, computer literacy skills and information via the Internet that they would not otherwise have access to.

In the industrialized world, computers are replaced every three to four years, meaning that companies are increasingly looking for sustainable ways to replace their used devices. At the same time, millions of computers are needed, particularly in developing countries. Recognizing this cycle, Close the Gap created a win-win situation. By supplying developing countries with high-quality, refurbished IT equipment that’s donated by companies in Western countries, Close the Gap creates practical, social and sustainable solutions that enable people to bring about a true change in their lives through the use of IT.

Through 2010, Close the Gap collected more than 160,000 computers from donors in Belgium, France, Germany, Luxemburg, and the Netherlands. These devices are being used in learning centers in sub-Saharan Africa, South-East Asia, Latin America, and also more recently in employability programs in Belgium, France, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands.

June 08, 2011

As you may have read in Julie Engerran’s recent blog post, Deloitte21 represents a far-reaching commitment by Deloitte member firms to change the lives of thousands of underserved young people across the globe. Through Deloitte21, Deloitte leaders and professionals contribute their time and expertise to nonprofit programs that provide access to the education and skills necessary for success in the 21st-century economy.

May 31, 2011

Fundamental shifts have been shaping the 21st-century workplace: developing countries such as India, China, and Brazil have joined the world stage; technology has become inherently intertwined with daily routines; and the global economy has moved from a labor-based system to one dependent on education and knowledge. These changes have highlighted the inequalities in access to education, and shown how necessary an educated workforce is to the health of global and national economies. They’re also showing how a lack of access to quality education in both developing and developed countries is creating a global talent shortage.

Expectations for the classroom have also shifted. Schools must expose young people to the critical thinking skills that will allow them to be successful members of the 21st-century workforce. Opening doors to new opportunities and developing responses to the many challenges facing our world requires that we equip young people to innovate, solve problems, work across cultures, and collaborate on teams.

February 04, 2011

It is with great pride each year that Deloitte is represented by a delegation of leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, an independent international organization committed to improving the state of the world by engaging business, political, academic, and other influencers of society to shape global, regional, and industry agendas.

This year, Barry Salzberg, CEO, Deloitte LLP, and Robert Kimmitt, Independent Chairman of the Deloitte Center for Cross-Border Investment, provided their thoughts from Davos on important issues around cross-border investment and global education initiatives covered at this year’s Forum. We are pleased to share the perspectives of these two leaders from this important world event.

January 27, 2011

As the Global Managing Director of Brand at Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, I am often asked how employer branding—the way an organization uses its brand to attract, engage, and retain its people—can protect the sustained future of an organization and the global business community.

The answer, as you might suspect, is not simple—engaging employees with their employer’s brand requires the utmost innovation. In fact, central to the idea of investing in an employer brand as a way to achieve competitive eminence is viewing talent and brand as an integrated solution to resolve the unparalleled global crisis of talent scarcity.

With that in mind, I am proud to be in the company of the distinguished government, business, and community leaders participating in this year’s World Economic Forum session on “Preparing for the Global Talent Crisis: Action Time”. The Forum is a wonderful opportunity to engage in education-focused discussions with other thought leaders.

September 20, 2010

After these wonderful days in London participating in the Deloitte21 workshop this is our turn to introduce the essence of French mentoring. The Grasp My Future mentoring program forms part of Deloitte’s desire to help today’s youth access higher education in favorable conditions. To this end, Deloitte takes part in several educational programs from junior high school through to five years post high school diploma.

The Grasp My Future mentoring program is open to all Deloitte France employees and student mentees volunteer to participate, and are supported by their school and teachers. Two Deloitte employees are matched with one student to mentor for two years. The Deloitte employees provide mentees with:

A first contact with the corporate world: its method of operating, its culture and its demands, which will enable the mentee to start a professional relationship adapted to the corporate world.

A fun approach to the corporate world: providing access to information on the activities of companies and contact with employees in a variety of business sectors and illustrating, through immersion, the description of a business or activity sector.

Skills development and career guidance support: the mentors assist the mentee with the construction of a professional development project whereby the mentee is able determine the best training courses to develop his/her skills. The mentors work with the student to help them decide what classes to take and diploma to pursue, and what company would be interested to hire them after their studies.

The Grasp My Future program operates around two major meetings supplemented by individual mentoring sessions:

A launch evening: the first meeting of the year, bringing together all mentors and mentees. In 2008 and 2009, this evening was held in November at the Louvre.

A human resources workshop day at Deloitte’s office: this session brings together mentors and mentees for a series of workshops. Volunteer employees are mobilized to offer numerous workshops to mentees: drafting CVs, practice interviews, access to the E-Learning center to test their level of English, and presentations of Deloitte’ businesses. Since 2008, this day of workshops has been held during the student’s Spring holidays.

Outside of these two major events, the mentors and mentees meet on a more informal basis in line with the mentees needs. Each mentee is at a different stage in the development of his/her professional development project. Needs will therefore differ from one mentee to another and the frequency of meetings will vary depending on the “study point” at which the mentee finds him/herself.

The French mentoring is quite the same as we did in London with the students we met, but with a continuous relationship all along the year. Mentoring provides the Deloitte volunteers with satisfaction in a number of areas, including:

Participating in a civic initiative within Deloitte’s corporate social responsibility framework, with the support of Executive Management

Committing to an association directly at their place of work, rather than having to travel off-site to participate

Getting involved alongside other Deloitte employees, of all grades and from all departments

Sharing experience and communicating know-how to the younger generations

Feedback from students is very encouraging and helpful:

“I’m proud of making it to the end. It was difficult, but I learned a lot and developed more efficient working methods… At the beginning of the course two years seems long, but it goes so quickly you don’t see time pass. I’m glad it’s finished, but it’s really a worthwhile experience.”

“This was a powerful human experience, with several important encounters that helped me progress. It was a difficult experience, but it enabled me to see that we can push beyond our limits. After these two years, I feel more mature and stronger. However, the stress is still there with the beginning of the exams…”

We are now planning for the new tutoring session, with new students and mentees, which will officially start at the end of October. At the same time, we are developing a partnership with a suburban college. The kick-off event will be held at the end of September and we are really eager to start this partnership!

We look forward to sharing with you how these initiatives progress!

Charlotte Jaffré is a supervisor in the Deloitte France audit practice and holds a master’s degree from University Paris Dauphine with a specialization in accounting and finance. She is also a Deloitte21 Fellow.

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